Instep-supporter.



PATENTED NOV. 24, 1903.

L. DULLIGAN.

INSTBP SUPPORTER. APPLICATION PILBDJULY 22, 1993.

N0 MODEL.

Inventor.

Witnesses:

M Attorney Patented November 24, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

LAWRENCE DULLIGAN, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK.

lNSTEP-SUPPORTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 745,166, dated November 24, 1903.

Application filed July 22,1903. Serial No. 166,527- (No model) To all whom it may concern.-

Be it-known that I, LAWRENCE DULLIGAN, of Rochester, in the county of Monroe and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Instep-Supporters; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the manufactured cheaply and will retain its shape and not be broken down in use, all as will be hereinafter more fully explained, and pointed out in the claims hereunto annexed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of an instep-supporter embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the supporter from underneath, and 'Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional View on the line 3 3, Fig. 2.

Similar reference-numerals in theseveral figures indicate similar parts. i

To facilitate an understanding of my invention, reference will be had to the herein-shown embodiment thereof, wherein 1 designates an instepsupporter, preferably made of soleleather and which maybe of any desired size and molded or treated in the usual or any preferred manner to properly fit within the shoe and having the upturned edges 2 and 3 to conform to the inner and outer portion, respectively, of the under side of the wearers foot. In the lower or under side of a support formed in the above manner are made a plurality of longitudinally-disposed slits 4 4, arranged in pairs and extending to a predetermined depth beyond the surface, said slits being cut at such angles to the surface that they approach as they recede from the surface. These slits are preferably arranged in substantially parallel pairs, and extending from one slit to the opposite slitof the same pair are provided a plurality of thread channels or passages-5 5, disposed at suitable intervals and extending inwardly preferably to the greatest depth post sible without perforating the opposite or up per surface of the material composing the supporter, and through these channels are inter laced one or more binding-threads 6 6, the intervening portions 7 7 thereof extending between the passages and lying at the bottom of each slit beneath or beyond the surface of the supporter. An inelastic waxed thread is advantageously employed for this purpose, the relative sizes of the thread and channels being preferably such that when the thread is tightly drawn it will be securely gripped to prevent subsequent loosening, or, if preferred, wax or cement may be employed for this purpose and for sealing the slits to completely conceal the threads. A reinforcement of this character may be readily applied to ordinary shoes at an insignificant cost, the slits being conveniently formed by a knife and the thread passages or channels by a curved awl, the threads being securely protected and concealed below-the surfaceto prevent their destruction from wear and to present a neat appearance. If desired, this stitching can be accomplished by the use of the well-known McKay shoe-sewing machine.

Anydesired number of reinforcements may be provided; but for all ordinary purposes only two are deemed necessary, each of which should preferably be located in the curved portions of the upturned edges 2 3, and as the threads are drawn tight and are substantially inelastic that portion of the supporter in proximity to the threads will be rendered rigid or stiffened in adirection both longitudinally and transversely of the support, thereby retaining the upturned edges in their proper shape and position and efiectually re-.

passages and drawn tightly to through said portions in their curved posirein force said tion.

2. An instep support having upwardlycurved edges and a plurality of passages arranged transversely thereof, slits connecting the ends of said passages and threads tightly stitched or interlaced through said passages, theintervening portions thereof between said passages lying in said slits.

3. An instep-support having a plurality of transversely-disposed passages arranged at intervals and extending to a predetermined depth from the surface of the support, slits extending longitudinally of said support and connecting the ends of said passages and substantially inelastic threads interlaced through said passages, the intervening portions thereof between said passages lying in said slits beneath the surface of the support.

4. An instep-support having a plurality of longitudinally-disposed slits formed in the lower surface thereof, passages extending to a predetermined depth beyond the under side of the support and connecting said slits at intervals, and a substantially inextensible thread stitched or interlaced through said passages and drawn tightly to reinforce said support both longitudinally and transversely.

5. An instep or bridge support adapted for use in shoes consisting of a body portion of leather or similar material, curved upwardly at the sides, which latter are reinforced by threads or cords stitched through' the substance of the upturned sides and extending 35 substantially in the direction of said sides.

LAWRENCE DULLIGAN. Witnesses:

F. F. CHURCH, HENRY W. HALL. 

